A democratic establishment and the tireless rallying by activists and legislators have improved the overall climate in India over the years, with the Supreme Court finally striking down the colonial vestige of Section 377 and the Parliament tabling bills for trans rights (of course, in spite of flaws and all).

Until recently, the conversation on sexuality and gender in the workspace was minuscule. This attitude also extends to academia, wherein queer individuals often report feeling alone, unwelcome and unsupported.

In an exclusive interview with team Gaysi, director Jijo Kuriakose shares his experiences working on Njan Sanjo and articulates his thoughts on the importance of self-representation in queer-centric media.

Manobi, like most trans persons, has lived through her share of ordeals to emerge resilient. Furthermore, she has formidable credentials, with a PhD in Bengali Literature and authorship to multiple other books, magazines, and hundreds of newspaper articles.

All my three years as an undergraduate in sound school, I was the only girl in an entire batch of around 70 students. I figured I’d have no problem blending in with other boys as I always thought we were very much alike. But apparently, they didn’t see it that way.

Super Deluxe steals you away for the entire show. It’s a brilliant piece of work. Unfortunately, in the theatre, I heard a few mocking laughs and snickers during the scenes with Shilpa, who is transgender.

I don't see my queerness or my non-binaryness as the only relevant thing about me. But often, without my consent, it becomes the only thing relevant about me for others, especially in public, which in turn forces me to constantly perform to be allowed some basic things.

The videos he has worked on also share stories that matter to him about the clandestine existence of queer folx in Pakistan, a country culturally and even lawfully similar in the violence towards queer people as their neighbour- India.

The partially scrapping of Section 377 has been a long time coming, and unfortunately, due to this, the general homophobic, misogynistic and patriarchal mindset that most cis-het Indians have had for centuries, has not changed much.

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Gaysi is a space where the Desi-Gay community comes together and shares personal stories, their triumphs and failures, their struggles and their dreams, their hopes and despair. And in doing so, gives other gaysis a sliver of hope too. More